Paste – The Future of Tailings Disposal?

In the last decade paste technology has progressed from a research based backfill idea to a widely accepted, cost effective backfill method with the potential to radically change the way tailings are disposed of on surface. Paste is simply dewatered tailings with little or no water bleed that are non-segregating in nature. It can be ‘stacked ’ on surface and the risks associated with dam failure significantly reduces since there is no liquid containment and therefore no mechanism for the tailings to travel for tens of kilometres downstream in the event of a containment failure. The operating costs for the preparation and transportation of paste may be higher but life-of-mine cost analysis shows comparable costs to conventional disposal with significant environmental benefits. In addition, the eco-political impact of non water-retaining tailings dams could reduce permitting time considerably